Dental Assistant

Veterans Health Administration; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is seeking a Dental Assistant to work within the Dental Service. The role supports routine dental procedures and assists in patient care in a federal healthcare setting.

Applicants may be referred if educational or certification/licensure requirements are pending and may be tentatively selected, with final hire contingent upon meeting all requirements. The position emphasizes credentialing standards and radiographic safety as part of patient care.

Qualifications

• Six months experience that demonstrates ability to perform the work or familiarity with the work.
• Successful completion of a 1-year CODA-accredited dental assistant program.
• Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.

Skills

Dental assisting

Infection control

Medical emergencies awareness

Education

CODA-accredited dental assistant program

Job description

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for a Dental Assistant. The Dental Assistant will function in Dental Service.

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements

Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) English Language Proficiency: Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Experience and Education: Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work; OR, Education: Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the "American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)"; OR, Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.

Certification

Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field. Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence. Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.; OR, Successful completion of the Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry; OR, Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD). Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.

Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB)

The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants. DANB certification is not required, but highly desirable for the appointment of Dental Assistants up to and including the full performance level, and is required for all positions above the full performance level. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations

Creditable Experience Knowledge of Current Professional Dental Assistant Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics (also referred to as "core competencies") associated with current professional dental assisting practice. Evidence of such experience includes graduation from a certified dental assisting training program, experience in private practice, VHA, Department of Defense (DoD), or other federal, state, community or charitable health care agency. Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable after the training program certifies that the individual has completed all required courses, an internship if it is part of the program, and graduated with passing grades. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a dental assistant is credited according to its relationship to full-time workweek. For example, a dental assistant would receive 1 week of full-time credit for each 2 weeks of half-time work.

GS-3 Experience or Education

None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-4 Experience

In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level, OR Education. Two (2) years of education above high school that included completion of a dental assistant program accredited by the "American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)". In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling. Basic knowledge of dental procedures and medical emergencies. Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval. Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment. Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements.

GS-5 Experience

In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4 above, applicants must demonstrate at least 1 year of experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. OR, Education. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CO